6 reasons why you can't resist unhealthy foods

If your new year diet never quite materialised and, despite the best of intentions, you find it hard to resist the 3pm call of unhealthy snacks then a) you're definitely not alone and b) don't beat yourself up because your willpower probably isn't to blame.

It turns out that everything from your drinking habits to your hormonal cycle can have a major impact on your body's hunger levels and even trigger specific cravings...

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Here, we run through six reasons why you might be struggling to resist unhealthy foods – and how to overcome the temptation to reach for the chocolate.

1. You're dehydrated

You know the drill: there are cupcakes in the office and, even though you're getting a toothache just looking at them, you can't say no. Even though you promised yourself you'd cut back on sugar this week.

Now take a moment and work out how long it's been since you had a sip of water... Yep, sometimes good old fashioned dehydration can be the reason we overeat.

Apparently, mild dehydration is often masked as a a sign of hunger. 'When dehydrated and thirsty, cells are in a state of imbalance and need to replenish liquid stores to function optimally,' explains Alix Woods, nutritionist at Quest Nutra Pharma. Cue your body desperately searching for anything (junk food included) that will give it a hit of hydration.

Incidentally, dehydration could also make you crave a can of fizzy pop full of artificial sugars. 'This is also why we may grab a calorific soda over a still water, as the fructose or sugar is far more attractive as a mood and energy enhancer,' she adds.

The takeaway? You've heard it before and you'll hear it again: drink more water, and do it consistently throughout the day.

Getty ImagesLarry Washburn

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2. You're tired

If you stayed up way later than you intended, bingeing on Netflix or scrolling mindlessly through social media, then don't be surprised that your willpower feels a little lacking the next morning...

'Not getting enough sleep can be a major trigger for making us overeat,' nutritionist Kim Pearson tells us. 'Lack of sleep interferes with the hormones that regulate our eating behaviour.

'When you haven't slept enough, levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin are increased so you're likely to feel hungrier than normal.'

You're also less likely to feel full when you're sleepy, which in turn makes those mid-afternoon snacks all the more tempting...

'Sleep regulates how much leptin the body produces – that's the "satiety hormone" which lets us know when we've had enough to eat and sends signals to the brain that we're full. Lack of sleep reduces leptin levels, meaning our "stop eating" messages don't get through,' she adds.

3. You've been drinking

Anyone who has ever queued up at 3am for a questionable-looking but utterly irresistible doner kebab could tell you that alcohol has a major influence on what you want to eat.

'Your sense of reason and rationale is impaired when you're drunk, and chances are you will choose a quick-fix, like a greasy, cheesy piece of pizza to help balance blood sugar and satisfy the hunger,' says Alix Woods.

'Even worse, drinking alcohol increases levels of galanin, a brain chemical that triggers the need or craving for fat.'

And good old galanin could also be the real reason why you can't resist a bacon butty with extra sauce the morning after...

'Again, some researchers believe a night of drinking leads to an increase of galanin, which encourages the intake of fatty foods, and leads to a vicious cycle of drinking and then binge eating to correct the imbalance and satisfy unnatural cravings,' she adds.

Galanin, we'd never heard of you before today, but now we hate you.

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4. You're addicted to sugar

The sweet stuff has been getting a very bad rap of late, and rightly so. Excessive sugar consumption – and remember the NHS recommends adults eat no more than 30g (6 teaspoons) per day – can contribute to a whole host of health issues, including diabetes and heart disease.

Unfortunately, despite knowing this, we all find it damn difficult to ditch it – and that's because sugar is genuinely addictive.

'Sugar is one on the most addictive substances we know,' says Woods. 'It often leads to a "seesaw" of out-of-control eating, as one sugary snack leads to a sugar dip, the brain then loses all sense of control and craves more of a fix. This pattern of unhealthy eating is then set!'

5. Your hormones

'During the "hormonal onslaught" of the peri-menstrual days, your need for chocolate may increase because levels of the "happy hormone" serotonin drop,' she says. And, as we now know, sugary foods give your brain that serotonin hit it's after.

It's not all bad news, though, because it sounds like we've got full licence to indulge those chocolate cravings during our period...

She probably means a couple of squares of dark chocolate, not a family size pack of Dairy Milk, but still.

6. Your coffee habit

Now, this one is ever so slightly depressing for those of us who can't get by without our morning latte, but your coffee habit could actually be contributing to your sugar cravings.

That's according to research published last year in the Journal of Food Science, which showed that coffee actually alters our perception of sweetness, making us crave more sugar.

That said, numerous studies have shown that coffee can also offer a whole host of health benefits, including better heart health, weight loss and even a longer lifespan, so don't feel like you have to give up your beloved caffeine.

It might just be worth swapping in some herbal teas if you find yourself a slave to your sweet tooth...